PB & J bars

I am always looking for new options for the family to snack on throughout the week. These bars were super easy to make (always a win!) and enjoyed by all. I only had tart cranberries on hand so I used those instead of dried cherries. They worked great! For those of you who love peanut butter, you may want to increase the amount of peanut butter. I used freshly grounded peanut butter and I felt like the bars were a little lacking in peanut butter. This recipe comes from the cookbook Oh She Glows For Dinner by Angela Liddon.

Makes about 21 bites

Ingredients

2/3 cup packed sweet cherries (103g)

1/2 cup packed pitted fresh Medjool dates (113g)

1 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup hemp hearts (70g)

1/4 cup natural peanut butter

2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, or to taste

Pinch of sea salt

1 to tablespoons of water

Creating the Magic!

Line an 8 by 4 inch (1 litre) or 9 by 5 inch loaf pan (1.5 litre) with a piece of parchment paper cut to fit the length of the pan with a few inches of overhang on each side.

Add dried cherries and the dates to a food processor. Process until finely chopped and the mixture comes together in a ball. Add the oats, hemp heats, peanut butter, coconut oil, cinnamon, and salt. Process until the mixture is very finely chopped. The mixture will stick to the sides and bottom of the bowl, so stop to scrape it down as frequently as needed.

Add 1 tablespoon of the water and process again. The dough should easily stick together when pressed between your fingers. If it doesn’t, add more water, a teaspoon at a time, and process until the dough holds together.

Spoon the dough into the prepared pan. With your hands (wet them lightly first, if needed, to prevent sticking), press down on the dough until it’s firmly and evenly packed into the pan.

Freeze for about 20 minutes, until the firm enough to slice. Using the overhanging parchment, remove the dough from the pan, and set it on a cutting board. Slice into small bites and enjoy.

Store bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 10 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.